White Wine Glögg with Cognac and Orange

Ingredients

About 1 litre

• 1 litre white wine, preferably fuller-bodied and slightly sweet
• About 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• About 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 cloves
• 3 pieces dried whole ginger
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 1–2 pieces bitter orange peel or 1–2 tbsp finely grated orange zest (orange part only)
• About 100 ml cognac, an everyday quality is fine

Method

1. Pour the white wine into a saucepan and heat gently to about 50°C. It should not boil.
2. Stir in the brown sugar a little at a time. Taste as you go until the sweetness balances the wine's acidity.
3. Lightly crush the cloves in a mortar.
4. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried ginger and peppercorns to the warm wine.
5. Remove the pan from the heat.
6. Add the bitter orange peel or grated orange zest. If using fresh orange zest, use only the orange part, since the white pith can taste bitter.
7. Cover with a lid and let the glögg cool.
8. Chill overnight so the spices and citrus flavour have time to infuse properly.
9. Warm a small taste sample to drinking temperature and check the flavour.
10. Adjust if needed with more sugar if it tastes too tart, or more wine if it feels too sweet or strong.
11. Strain out the spices and peel.
12. Add the cognac and stir well.
13. Let the glögg rest for about 1 hour so the flavours combine.
14. Warm a fresh small sample and taste again. Adjust with more cognac, sugar or wine if needed.
15. Chill overnight again, then carefully pour into a clean bottle.

Serving

Serve warm in small glasses. This glögg works especially well as a lighter welcome drink, or as an alternative to classic red wine glögg.